Apologize to Mum
by live.for.yourself
Summary: AU in which James and Lily survived. Young Harry swears at his mother and must deal with a less than happy James. Warning: Spanking of minors.


**Warning:** Spanking of minors. DON'T LIKE, DON'T READ.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own canon Harry Potter world. Also, I do not endorse the spanking of children.

 **A/N:** I have always wanted to read fiction like this, but there are so few out there. Decided to make my own. I am publishing this fic based on the idea that corporal punishment might've been a little less taboo in the time Harry was growing up (the 80s) & that Lily & James might have raised him that way. I enjoy fiction where James is a loving and maybe sometimes strict father because it shows his character development (from an arrogant teenage boy to a stern but caring father).

I did not specify Harry's age but I imagine him being around 7-9 years old. You choose.

* * *

 **Apologize to Mum**

He knew that running was probably a stupid idea. James was already furious and Harry was fully aware that once James got a hold of him he had no chance of escaping. His father was just too strong, and Harry was also very predictable.

It was not the first time he had chosen the closet to hide in, and even now he could hear James coming down the hallway towards his room.

"Harry! Get out here, now! I am NOT playing games with you."

From his view, Harry could see through the slits in the closet. To his relief, he saw James pass his doorway. Probably to check the master bedroom where his parents slept, because more often than not Harry chose that closet to hide in.

It didn't take long for James to discover he was not in the master bedroom. He soon entered Harry's room and went straight for the closet.

James opened the doors roughly, his anger quite evident. Harry, terrified, tried to back up into the deepest corner, but had no time to even take a breath before James grabbed his upper arm and forced him up.

"No!" cried Harry as he was led across the room and to the bed, pulling on James's grip.

"When will you learn not to run away from me? You have what's coming to you! If I say you're getting a sound spanking, then that's exactly what you're going to get!" said James, red in the face and wearing a beyond frustrated expression. He sat down on the bed and tugged Harry to stand beside him.

Finally Harry stopped struggling. He knew he was doomed. James took a deep breath, allowing a few moments of silence in which his face regained normal color and Harry stood looking partly dejected but mostly irritated.

James looked Harry straight in the eyes, his brows slightly raised and his jaw tight. "I would have liked to calm down a bit before dishing out your smacking, but this can't wait any longer, Harry. I WILL NOT tolerate you calling your mum bad names. You need to RESPECT her. If I hear you ever...EVER saying words like that to your mum again, then you will get a much longer trip over my knee. Understand?" He shook Harry a tad as he said this, for emphasis.

Harry never broke eye contact with his dad. He considered it a challenge and accepted it. But he wasn't done testing James's patience. He kept silent.

"Harry James Potter. Give me an answer, young man. Do you understand?"

Harry looked straight into James's stern hazel eyes, considering his options for a few more dangerous moments. He finally settled on breaking the eye contact and responding with a less than half hearted "yes".

James let the response sink in and latch itself onto the anger he already felt. 'Unbelievable', he thought. He shook his head and reached for the button on Harry's trousers.

For the briefest moment, when James let go of Harry's upper arm to reach for his trouser button, Harry's brain somehow conceived the brilliant idea of escaping.

He darted towards the door. 'I escaped! I did it!' Harry thought excitedly as he, for the first time, escaped from James after he had already been caught.

But it was not meant to be, as Harry suddenly tripped on nothing and he landed flat on his stomach inches from the exit. He made to get up again, but James was there to pin him back to the ground rather aggressively.

James did not stop there. As he held Harry down with one hand, James delivered five hard smacks to the bum below him.

"Ow!" Harry yelped once, too in shock to make much noise or fight back. Before he could digest what was happening, he was being lifted by his underarms and placed across his dad's knee. All in swift, easy movements that made all of his running away seem pointless. And then it all came crashing down on Harry: the realization that he had lost and he was indeed getting what James promised him…probably worse.

"Nooo! Don't! Don't!" Harry pleaded, kicking his legs wildly and trying to wriggle his way out.

James delivered the first firm smacks to Harry's backside. As soon as they came Harry was slightly paralyzed by the sting they caused on his tail.

"Owww!" Harry whined with a small suppressed groan, as he remembered that he needed to try not to cry. It was routine for him to hold back his crying as long as possible. His eyes were squeezed shut and his body felt tense from trying to keep back the tears he felt coming.

After about a ten smacks James lifted Harry off his lap and somehow lowered his trousers in a flash. His underwear quickly followed.

Harry gasped and a new struggle began as James placed him back over his knee. But it was no use as James was able to handle Harry like he was a sack of feathers.

The smacks came again, this time feeling harder on his uncovered bum. Now Harry didn't even have the ability to hold back his wails. He sobbed and kicked and reached back to possibly block a smack, but James was too good at this. He caught Harry's wrist and pinned it to his back, and in addition James smacked a little lower on the back of Harry's leg and sharply ordered him to keep his legs down. Harry had the sense to obey.

As the punishment went on, Harry's cries grew louder that they could certainly be heard from downstairs.

His bare bottom was quickly reddening, but James continued on. Harry probably regretted not allowing James time to cool down, because he certainly would have been let off easier.

Harry squirmed furiously, feeling as though the spanking would never end. Every slap to his bare backside added to the fire and made an awful cracking sound that resonated in his ears, amplifying the pain somehow.

"You will never disrespect me or your mother again, am I clear?" James asked over the sound of his smacks and Harry's wailing.

"N-n-never! Never! I'm sorry, daddy, please stop!"

James drove the message home with four more powerful smacks. He made them the hardest, and let Harry kick and buck as he needed.

It was finally over. Harry's face was tear streaked and his eyes were swollen. Meanwhile James was relieved, but sad for his son.

"Shhh, calm down. You're okay," James said in a low voice, rubbing Harry's back. He waited for Harry's cries to diminish a bit before he let Harry up.

Harry gazed at James with a guilty and sorry expression. "I didn't mean it, dad, I swear! I'm sorry..." And he couldn't help but break into another fit of sobs.

"I'm not the one you need to apologize to, Harry. You need to tell your mum that you're sorry."

"I-I-I knooow," Harry managed to choke out.

"Come here," James said, offering Harry a hug. Harry went straight for it, and he sobbed into James's chest, clutching onto his shirt for dear life.

James squeezed Harry tight and rubbed his small back, hoping to calm him down.

Remembering that Harry's underwear and trousers were still around his ankles, James reached down and pulled them back up, one at a time.

Harry hardly seemed to notice and continued to cry into James's warm embrace.

When Harry finally settled down, James walked him to find Lily and apologize. She of course had already forgiven Harry when she had heard his punishment, and so she eagerly accepted his apology, and she hugged him extra long and tight.

James smiled at the sight, glad that everything was over with. How exhausting it was to discipline a miniature version of himself.


End file.
